T-Mobile introduces the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

Not to be left out of all the fun at CES, T-Mobile has announced the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G -- a HSPA+ 42 device (that's T-Mobile's 42 M/sec HSPA network lingo for fast) from Samsung. The Blaze 4G features a dual-core Snapdragon S3 at 1.5GHz and a Super AMOLED screen, and offers a "variety of pre-loaded entertainment." We're there with T-Mobile, and we'll bring you more soon. The full press release is after the break.

Intel CES Keynote Liveblog

We're live at CES in Las Vegas for tonight's Intel keynote. On the Android side of things we'll be looking for more Medfield goodness, as well as more details of the chip giant's wider mobile strategy. We're covering things live from the event, so join us after the break for full coverage, starting at 4.30pm PST (7.30pm EST).

Hands-on with the Motorola Defy Mini

CES isn't only a venue for the biggest and baddest technology, but also for affordable and accessible products as well, as we learned today at Motorola's booth. Introducing the Motorola Defy Mini, a shrunken version of big M's popular Defy smartphone. It's not going to blow anybody away specs-wise: inside we've got a 600 MHz single-core processor, 512 MB RAM, a 3MP rear camera, and a VGA front-facer, all underneath a 3.2-inch Gorilla Glass-coated VGA display. Those modest specs are all powered by a 1650 mAh battery, which will pack plenty of juice for days and days worth of standby time.

The Defy Mini certainly won't be running Ice Cream Sandwich anytime soon, but for those looking for a pocketable, entry level Gingerbread smartphone, Motorola has your solution. This one will only be available in China, Latin America, and Europe beginning next month, though keep an eye out for something similar to hit the States sometime down the line. Hit the break for some hands-on shots and video.

Intel show off their reference device, highly optimized version of Android

We've already seen the Intel Medfield reference device with our hands on earlier today, but during the Intel Keynote they took it out on stage to show it off to the world.

The device itself is pretty fully loaded. NFC, HDMI, and an 8-megapixel camera that can take 10 high resolution pictures a second. The design also supports upto a 16-megapixel camera. While running Gingerbread, it's clear that this is a highly optimized version of Gingerbread, that performs amazingly well on the device.

The 1080p video playback was shown alongside an HTC device in a time lapse video, which illustrated how the Intel device outlasted the HTC one by hour in terms of battery life. The claim is that 1080p video playback is offered without sacrificing battery life.

In browsing and Javascript, the device was shown against a competitor product and the results were impressive. The Intel Medfield offered a significantly better experience than the competitor phone and because of the optimizations, existing Android Market applications will work without needing a re-compile.

We're live at Intel's CES keynote, where Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha has just announced that Moto's entered into a "multi-year agreement" with Intel to bring x86-powered mobile devices to market. Jha adds that Motorola will have devices in carrier validation this summer, with product launches shortly thereafter.

That, of course, means we can expect more Intel-powered Motorola/Android smartphones and tablets towards the back end of 2012, as the chip inceases its mobile presence. Join us after the jump for the full press release from Motorola.

Google Maps updated, transit beta and battery optimizations aplenty

The latest update for Google Maps is now showing up in the Android Market and according to the updated change log it's mostly optimizations of already existing features and battery optimizations -- not that we're complaining. As noted:

Improved battery performance for Latitude and Location History users, and fresher locations for friends in Latitude

Transit Navigation (Beta) can use vehicle speed to estimate location if GPS signal is lost

Increase route options for public transit directions from 3 to 4.

Report feedback to Google from the settings menu

You'll find the download link past the break and be sure to let us know if you happen to notice any other changes, since Google has a tendency to sneak in some unnoted changes here and there.

If you're making use of Kindle for Android on an ICS equipped device then you may have noticed it has some slight issues with freezing when you launch it. If you never noticed it -- awesome but if you have, there is now an updated version available the addresses the issue. It's labeled as v3.3.2 and you'll find it readily available in the Android Market right now. Download link is past the break.

Just how strong is Gorilla Glass 2? See for yourself...

We know you want to see just how strong the new Gorilla Glass 2 is, not just hear about the fanciness of it. Lucky for you, the folks at Corning took to the stage at CES today to show off just how strong the product is, and we've got it all on camera. Check it out and see how well the new Gorilla Glass 2 holds up in our video above.

Hands-on video with Vizio's 10-inch tablet

As stated, we had a chance to get accquainted with Vizio's upcoming 10-inch tablet today here in Las Vegas, and while details are sparse, this video will at least give some dimension to what we're dealing with. Keep your ears and eyes peeled: we think this one's coming down the pike any minute now.

Hands-on with Vizio's 10-inch tablet

Tucked away deep within the Wynn Hotel here in Las Vegas, Vizio has set up a command center for its CES offerings, one of which is its upcoming 10-inch tablet. Still unnamed, the device is running Honeycomb underneath a pretty slick custom skin-- see our review of Vizio's 8-inch tablet to get a true feel for the experience. Unfortunately Vizio reps were tight-lipped when it came to details. They wouldn't divulge processor speeds, RAM, or screen resolution, though they did mention that while it's shipping with Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich isn't out of the realm of possibility. Hit the break for more impressions.

Sony Walkman Z-series coming to U.S. and Europe in February

Following its Japanese launch late last year, the Sony Walkman Z-series is due to arrive in Europe and the U.S. from next month. The NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered personal media player comes in 8, 16 and 32GB flavors, and supports HDMI, DLNA and Wifi connectivity. Besides that, you get all the benefits of Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a 4.3-inch screen, albeit without cellular connectivity or any cameras.

According to the Sony Store pre-order page, U.S. prices will range from $249.99 for the 8GB model up to $329.99 for the 32GB version. We've got the full presser from Sony after the break.

First look: Gorilla Glass 2 sheds 20% thickness but keeps all the strength

Pop quiz: What's new, thinner and still made of Gorillas? Gorilla Glass 2, of course. A few days ago we saw the announcment that Corning was bringing the well-named scratch-resistant glass back to CES thinner than ever -- while also keeping it just as structurally strong.

Sure, 20 percent thinner may not seem like a lot, but keeping the glass thinner is something that many manufacturers want for reasons such as enhanced color reproduction -- color isn't displayed oddly because of the screen, and believe it or not the thinner screen will also allow for more accurate touch sensativity. With their glass on more than 600 product models you would think that these guys know what they are doing, and that "thin is in" and Gorilla Glass 2 is going to be something we definitely look forward to. While adoption times will differ by manufacturer they do anticipate to see Gorilla Glass 2 replacing the original within the next six months.

Hands-on with the Motorola Motoluxe

Motorola continues to iterate with every new device, and the Motorola Motoluxe is no exception. It's got a 4-inch display and is rocking Android 2.3 (lame, but not surprising), has the usual Motorola UI improvements and sports an 8MP camera with autofocus and flash.

Picking it up, you'll be struck by the weight -- or lack thereof -- and the cool little quick-launch apps widget that's planted on the homescreen. (There's a similar widget for your favorite contacts.)

And save for a VGA front-facing camera and 1400 mAh battery, that's about it. Not to say that it's a bad phone -- it's a solid mid-level device, which is what Motorola was aiming for. This is definitely one you folks in Greater China, Europe and Latin America will want to check out when it's released in February.

Verizon has been rolling out quite a few exclusive deals today and their latest announcement brings a long-time iOS app to select Verizon wireless Android devices, namely -- the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 as a start.

"Verizon Wireless has been a key partner since we launched on iPad, and we're thrilled to now be available to Android customers as we continue to expand and grow throughout the mobile space," said Greg Clayman, publisher for The Daily.

The Daily, which offers national news in an easy to read tablet format is a subscription service that publishes more than 100 pages of original content each day, 365 days a year. Customers will be offered a free trial and after that, you will have the option of subscribing to the service for $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

Hands-on with the Polaroid SC1630 Android camera

No longer can you complain about Android devices not having proper cameras. Polaroid has taken care of that with the SC1630. It's a proper-looking digital camera with an honest to goodness 3x optical zoom, 16MP sensor and Android user interface. The short version is that it's a digital camera with an Android back end.

The slightly longer version is that you've got a digital camera with an Android 2.x.x back end and a 3.2-inch display. It's got a monster amount of storage -- the unit we played with had about 54GB on board. There's no doubt that you're using Android -- Polaroid hasn't done much to skin it. It's got full access to the Android Market, so you can get in a game of Angry birds before worrying about aperatures. And, yes, it's got Wifi for all the photo sharing you can muster, and cell versions certainly are possible.

It's also got a bevy of camera features, including various scene modes, face detection and a number of sharing options. That, obviously, is where the Android back end comes into play. You get to the camera side of the equation with a little button on top of the device. The lens extends in a couple seconds, and then you hit the giant red shutter to get down to business.

Speaking of getting down to business, we've got our full hands-on after the break. Check 'er out.